There are certain shows so beloved, so famous, that the moment you hit play, you can pick up on the hundreds of thousands of preceding listening experiences that have been enjoyed by other deadheads in years gone by. It’s like walking through Grand Central. Even if it’s not too crowded that particular day, you can really feel that you’re walking where countless others have walked before.
12/6/73 is one of those shows. It’s had legendary status for many years. This Ohio gig is best known for the mammoth Dark Star, but there’s also much more to the story! If I had to describe this show with one word, it would be “Phil”. The bassist is all over this one. The band is best on nights where everyone’s gelling, but at the same time there will always be certain shows that have a clear MVP. Phil is loud and proud here, steering the ship over many of the highest peaks, and even chatting with the crowd between songs!
The 12/4/73 Cincinnati show that went down a couple of days prior was fairly short. They started late, and only played 16 songs, which isn’t a whole lot, especially by 1973 standards. As such, they owed the state of Ohio a jumbo performance, and they delivered in Cleveland. Even though 12/6/73 “only” has 21 songs, it spans over three hours, largely thanks to the enormous Dark Star.
Up until the Dark Star, the show plays out like one big first set; Jerry and Bob trading shorter tunes one after the other. We get rockers, cowboy material, and those lovely charmers like TLEO and Row Jimmy. It’s tough to pick out highlights, but this Row Jimmy is downright clean.
This whole show is rife with that silky, smooth Fall ‘73 sweetness. This was a five-man lineup. For such a small band, the guitar tones, strong bassline, and active piano made for a very rich, full sound. Yet, with so few musicians onstage, it took very little collective effort to shift and morph the direction of the jams. It’s Fall ‘73 at its best: rich and full, with malleable mobility. It’s all a big slab of fresh clay, which a skilled potter can mold any which way. They were very much in the moment, and listening to each so well that they could melt in any direction at the drop of a hat. Whenever Jerry gets to a guitar solo passage, it’s like trying to hold a scoop of mint chocolate chip from melting through your fingers. Formless reflections of matter indeed.
So, about this Dark Star. They don’t kick it off with those dramatic opening notes. It just forms out of nothing, like a genie consolidating out of thin air. This one is spacey, unhurried, hazy, and very far out. Eventually it floats off into some Seastoneish realms, until Jerry and Kreutzmann install a set of wheels and spur it into a crisp Playin’-type jam, which segues into Eyes, which segues into Stella Blue, before they drop the curtain with Sugar Magnolia. What a journey.
This is a great, great show. This is one of the best shows from one of the best tours, easily claiming a spot at the table with the likes of 10/25/73, 11/11/73, 11/17/73, etc. The shorter numbers are all very well-played, and the jam vehicles Eyes of the World, Here Comes Sunshine, and especially Dark Star are each infused with multiple unique passages, each with a different flavor than the last. Pretty yummy stuff.
12/6/73 is legendary for a reason!

Oh, so sweetly mellow with mighty Set Two jams..
Great separation, Phil up in mix-good backing vocals.
This is the perfect GD ambience for my Deadhead 2020 situation.
bcol> telling it like it is

Had some free time today to give a listen and read some of the reviews. It's fun sometimes to engage. I got to see a few shows that fall, including the Cleveland show. It's all a personal perspective for me. The September show leaned to rock n' roll and was full of tie dyed dancing hippies. An October show was rowdy, full of loud and half-drunk Dead heads. It leaned toward country, with lots of cowboy songs. The Cleveland show was calm and subdued. As I recall, full of folks with eyes like black saucers. (must have found the same dealer outside). Anyhow, this show was slower and calmer, like you might find in a jazz club. The crowd was so high they seemed content with clapping and saying, "wow". So, it's that way. Probably in every Dead show you might have seen. Different energies from the band, the crowd, and whatever. Like another day at work. I compare this show to one I saw with George Benson during that era. A jazz club with about 50 people in it. Brilliant. Amazingly personal. But different than the one I saw with him in an arena sized place. Equally brilliant but different. All of my Dead concerts were like this. Different vibes, audiences, and times. A stadium show in the 80's was not like a small club in the 60's. Just be glad that these shows are available to hear and that each of you brings an energy to them. There is nothing like a Dead show. Period.

HCS is solid and well played. Best ever?, Who knows. Comment below about taking a break and putting on some
Coltrane is THE best comment I have yet to read on these forums. With this part of 73 it is hard to go wrong. Best ever Jerry playing? Might be time to hide the crack pipe. Live Dead Dark Star? 72 Prelude? Morning Dew? I don't hear anything here rising to that level. If you think this Dark Star ranks with that try 12 step program. It's a good Star though, standard noodling and improve for period. Solid Show.

Dark Star>Eyes>Stella Blue. Amazing.

The latest transfer from Charlie Miller is one less cassette generation and has the complete Here Comes Sunshine (no horrible audience patch on the final chorus like in all other versions).
Go here:
https://archive.org/details/gd1973-12-06.132361.sbd.miller.flac16

I found the Dark Star controversy below hilarious. A suggestion for anyone who doesn’t have the patience for this DS, or finds it boring or whatever: smoke a bowl and then see what you think. (In all seriousness, exploring consciousness in an expansive, sobriety-transcending way is built into the song, don’t you think?) You can thank me later ;)
This show (in this excellent CM version) belongs in everyone’s collection. Enjoy!

Just some words about something I discovered through my years as a "taper". I started trading in the mid 80's in the days when we exchanged dead gems on cassette through the US mail! And I remember all those times fellow traders would brag about a long playing or long dark star. in the dead's case and any jam bands case for that matter. long does not mean listenable or enjoyable, it just means...long. Now I'm not criticizing this dark star at all. Its a very unique and enjoyable journey if you've got the umm head,desire and patience to sit through it. Back in the days of these shows when you were actually there everyone was attuned to the psychedelic energy and the band played off that. therefore they could leave you adrift for endless universal minutes without you even aware of real time. but to actually sit here and listen to a 44 minute dark star no matter how good it sounds(thank you Charlie miller for the endless qaulity sbds you've provided, where were you when I was seeking this stuff out on cassette?) takes a lot of patience, take the Seattle '74 Playin. wow 45 minutes!!! but you know just for kicks, I edited it down to 23 minutes and made a kick ass version of a long and meandering Playin. Hey that's for my personnel listening experience you purists! Anyway just for you lengthy seekers don't be disappointed when you finD that these looonng jams are not always listenable or enjoyable, they just go on & on when your head is not. As far as this show goes, its 73 and it sounds excellent nothing more needs to be said...as for this dark star its an acquired taste, but its worth the chew and swallow if you can digest it all.

At least that many and prolly more.
1973...I was blessed to see them at Kezar Stadium in May of that year. So, I know! Come for the Dark Star, stay for the rest of the show! It's amazing! When Phil is on it, the rest of the band sounds so much better! And Keith, that Fender Rhodes...when he adds some chorus to it, very nice. And Jerry! "nuff said. Bill...all right! And even Bob...nice tone. There was just something about them, in 1973 and 1974. They peaked! So...45 more stars!

Just so there is no confusion on this one, and there shouldn't be because an all around monster like this deserves to be listened to from the best possible source... THIS, is the absolute best source. 102750 is also very good, a touch brighter, but Charlie definitely did well when he touched up this one.
As far as the show, Dark Star, IGNORE ANY AND ALL EVEN REMOTELY NEGATIVE REVIEWS, THEY COME FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE YET TO BREAK THROUGH. It isn't meandering w/ cool feedback, and Phil is most definitely at the top of his game. Here Comes Sunshine is also a huge highlight here. I usually do song by song reviews but that isn't necessary here.
That said, don't just come for the Dark Star> Eyes> Stella. It isn't as though inspiration just happened to touch down for about an hour in the middle of the evening this night. This entire show smokes start to end. Jerry is vibrant and carefully aggressive all night. Phil is in full throated, "Yea I Can Make This Bass Go Boom!" mode, Billy is on fire, so is Keith, so is Bobby, oh and Donna is out for the night as well. Five stars FTW!
Sound: 8/10
Show: 10/10
Overall: 9.5/10

Just a great period for the band. The first set is not the best I've ever heard, but they are in such a great space nonetheless. Seems some people discount the Dark Star...I don't get that. It's wayyyy out there. Testicle shaking Phil-tronics at their finest. Real improvisational stuff. Great version. As noted, Keith is really amazing throughout. The interplay between him and Jerry over this 2 year span is one of the reasons I consider this the true golden era for them. I think the Eyes and Stella Blue are also fabulous.

T. C. was once quoted saying something like "you don't play Dark Star you enter it". This may be the perfect example.
This show is really good - start to finish. Plenty of highlights typical of '73 (They Love Each Other, China Cat> Rider, Here Comes Sunshine, Big River, etc.), but the Dark Star is unique. It starts with a slow simmer of a jam out of tuning, and builds into a high energy jam with lots of great "noise". Almost not a DS, but a jam close to Watkins Glen. Perfect example of "jazzy" Dead.
The 5 stars isn't just for the DS, but it does steal the face right off your head.

you would think it be awesome enough to just have the music available; this version, that version, blues, jazz, rock, exploratory, best ever's. I understand it gives people the opportunity to show how poetic they are, but babyblu is on to something, once the lense gets so magnified that it blinds us from its purest form, then it's time to "refresh" the ears with something else. Let's set it straight, there's no such thing as "Best Ever" or a 10 when it comes to GD music. It's Grateful Dead and that should be statement enough, any other attempt to bottle it is futile.
Thank God for the Grateful Dead! Enjoy

is there a better one? maybe there are a few good ones from 73 but hey i love this one my personel favorite and the Dark Star is off the hook too the China>Rider doesn't dissappoint either hell just a great show from a great year plus can't beat a Miller soundboard either gotta go with a 5 on this one and i hate to just hand out 5's but this one is well earned damn what i wouldn't give to hear just one more time peace all

Phil and Keith are your captains on a one-way tryp to neverneverland!
There's a certain vein of DeadHead for whom "best" versions of songs seem to be more or less about the degree to which Jerry nails his bits in an epic frenetic jam.
That's all well and good most of the time, but this Dark Star aint about that.

over-rated or over-hyped. And this is coming from a guy who favors tighter Dark Stars (the Live Dead version will always be my favorite). This version contains ethereal (as someone else noted) drifting jams, shimmery Rhodes piano, bursts of arpeggiated fretwork, colossal bass tremors, celestial feedback, and some just plain straight ahead jazz.
What stands out about this Dark Star is Keith's playing. I'm a Brent guy through and through. I loved when Brent had a full presence in the band--he created some very productive tension, besides being virtuosic. Keith had the talent to be a very subtle and tasteful jazz-rock accompanist. He wasn't the kind of player to lead a band like the Dead, and too often he was nonexistent, especially in the later '70s. Listening to this Dark Star was one of the first times I've ever heard Keith step out front and push Jerry and maybe Phil musically, at least in terms of improvisational jamming. For Jer and Phil, this is a somewhat average to better than average Dark Star (which is to say, it's genius). What Keith contributes is really unique and at times gorgeous. Definitely essential listening.

Agree with Jinglebell Rainbow on this Dark Star. this is isn't even one of the top 5 Dark Stars of november-December 1973, nonetheless one of the best ever. it kinda bothers me when just because a jam is really long doesn't necessarily mean it's great. U ever heard the longest HCS or Franklins? Good not great. Now u wanna hear a really long Dark Star that never gets boring and is full of ideas - see 5/4/72. Sorry for the rant, anyways this is a great great show.

Why have I not heard this one before? Unique, inventive playing and a superb recording that allows you to hear the interplay between each musician to perfection. This is one of those inspired performances that make the Dead great.
Of course, if you like the songs played vanilla, just like the original recorded version, this is not the one for you. But then, I don't know why you'd be listening to this band anyway. Wow, this is great! Just dig it!

Gotta go with five stars for this one. Beautiful sound, Mr. Miller - hope those DC budget cuts don't affect your operation. I am a huge fan of 1973 but don't claim the comprehensive knowledge that other reviewers readily demonstrate. Still, this show is worthy of what was really an entire five star year. The HCS certainly could rank as "best ever" - the inventiveness and creativity just leap off Garcia's strings. He takes the existing framework of the song to new heights, then dabbles in uncharted waters of new dimensions and directions. For a snap shot of Garcia, check out the last twenty seconds or so of Around and Around. Not content - never content - to thrash a crescendo of chords as the crowd drowns out the band, Jerry introduces at least three subtle, idiosyncratic flourishes - in what could have been a throw-away moment. I'm not a musician so I can't accurately describe what he does, so listen for yourself. Jerry never ran out of ideas for new places to go and that is what art is all about. Like they say about a great batter in baseball - never wasted an at bat.

once you start meticulously scrutinizing the Grateful Dead with a fine-tooth comb, it's time to listen to something else. put on a john coltrane record or something.

The Dark Star I can see as a point of contention and understand how perceptions of it might vary depending on subjective taste. It is extremely abstract and ethereal. It starts off in space and returns there twice in the twenty-five minutes of down- to mid-tempo open jamming before the first verse. Starting around 11' Phil starts dialing in some serious Seastones UFO tones and takes the second half of the pre-verse jam quite deep in a cubist/impressionist style. Then after the verse is several more minutes of deep Seastones abstraction (no Tiger jam this night) before rolling into a nice little melodic improvisational outro section. This kind of thing isn't for everyone, but I love it.
HOWEVER. The brilliance of the China - Rider transition jam and above all the HC Sunshine allow no room for argument or interpretation. Anyone who could listen to and review this show without being staggered by their genius is coming from a place I can't understand and don't care to - and that's by far the nicest way I can think to put it. The HC Sunshine soloing by Jerry isn't merely "the best version ever" (which is is, by orders of magnitude beyond the wonderful 2-23-74 version or any other candidate); it is one of the very finest moments in Garcia's entire career as a guitarist, a true lifetime performance highlight and one of the finest pieces of improvised music you will ever hear in your life.
If you don't grok it, don't come talking smack. Subjective interpretation and matters of taste are all very well but if you don't recognize the Cleveland Sunshine for what it is, you best check yourself and polish up that lens 'cause it just might be cracked.
If you haven't heard it, friends, well, I am excited on your behalf! It really is that good. You're in for a treat. Don't half-ass it! This isn't one to waste as background music at work or something. Get your head really right, turn it up loud and let this show take you places. It will if you let it.
Peace.

anything less than 23 dark stars on this is ridiculous
http://www.vimeo.com/17169752 thank you jerry et al

J.R., I've read a few of your reviews, and I think you might need to just forget about the Dead and return to Phish touring.

Here Comes Sun Shine is by far and wide the best piece of music this show has to offer. Jerry Rips for extended periods of time,very inspired. After reading the review of Dark Star in the Dead Head taping Compendium I was certain the way the review said this is Phill at his ver very best that I was about to be impressed. Sorry to say the whole thing is over blown hype. This is not even close to Phil at his best. If you like dull sleepy spacy Dark Stars with some cool feedback and a little jamming about 35 minutes into it then it's for you. This thing really never gets off the ground, dull boring attempt Very slow and sleepy. I like laid back jamming from 73 but this is like falling asleep

after listening to this Dark Star.
It's a brooding monster. Heavy shit to be sure.
Here Comes Sunshine lives up to it's name as well. Truly a inspired outing by all those involved.
Thank You Cleveland Goodnight!!!!

This is one of my favorite versions of Dark Star. Although it doesn't start with the signature begining riffs, it is a great jam with a lot of fine work on the electric piano by Keith. I'm not sure they didn't just start up a jam in "A" that just eventually became Dark Star (same key of A) half way through it. Either way it is a great and unique jam.